U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,106 discloses a fiber scope for biopsical use which is designed to be operable by a single operator and which comprises a forceps, an adapter for selectively controlling a motion of tip ends of the forceps, and a stopper adapted to selectively fix a longitudinal motion of a forceps controlling wire. The adapter is disposed at or adjacent to an inlet portion of a forceps guide sleeve.
US 2006/0030753 A1 discloses a steerable imaging catheter comprising an elongated catheter tube having a proximal end and a distal end, at least one steering cable extending along the catheter tube substantially from the proximal end to the distal end of the catheter tube to control the movement of the distal end of the catheter tube, and an imaging fiber optic cable having a proximal end and a distal end. The imaging fiber optic cable extends along the catheter tube substantially from the proximal end to the distal end of the catheter tube and transmits illumination light from its proximal end to its distal end and an image from its distal end to its proximal end.
US 2001/0037084 A1 discloses a steerable medical catheter comprising a polymeric main shaft having first and second ends with a plurality of lumens extending longitudinally therethrough and a shaft tip portion comprising a metallic coil spring with a polymeric coating having first and second ends. The first end of the metallic coil spring is fused to the second end of the main shaft and the polymeric coating has an inner portion configured to define a plurality of lumens between the first and second ends of the coil spring which extend through the coil spring. The lumens through the coil spring are aligned with the lumens in the main shaft such that the lumens extend through the catheter, wherein the metallic coil spring is fully encapsulated by the polymeric coating and the second end of the main shaft. The medical catheter further comprises a first control wire located in one of the lumens having a first end which terminates in proximity to the second end of the coil spring and a second end which extends from the first end of the main shaft.
WO 2004/035125 A1 discloses a catheter comprising a shaft having a proximal end, a distal end and a wire guide lumen extending through the shaft. The catheter further comprises a plurality of intermediate wire guide access ports through a side wall of the shaft for providing access to the wire guide lumen, wherein the intermediate wire guide access ports are located between and spaced apart from the proximal and distal ends. The catheter is adapted for use with an endoscope having a working channel extending between a distal port and a proximal port, wherein the plurality of intermediate wire guide access ports are accessible outside the endoscope when the catheter is positioned through the working channel such that the distal end of the catheter and the distal port of the working channel are substantially aligned.
WO 98/46143 discloses a control handle that is detachably connected to a proximal end of an endoscope and that has several telescoping components that may be sequentially operated, first to pass a needle through tissue and then to eject a retainer tag and attached suture end from a distal end of the needle. The control handle includes first and second longitudinally movable slides, wherein one slide is connectable to a proximally extending end of a tubular needle shaft and the other slide is attachable to a proximally extending end of an injector wire that is slidably movable through the needle shaft. The distal end of the handle is detachably connectable to a biopsy fitting that is disposed at a proximal end of the endoscope.
WO 2014/091418 A1 discloses a position determination apparatus for determining the position of a working element, which is arranged within an object having an inner structure, with respect to a model of the object. The position determination apparatus comprises a) a position and shape providing unit for providing the position and shape of a registration element within the inner structure of the object and a spatial relation between the working element and the registration element, b) a model providing unit for providing the model of the object, c) a transformation determination unit for determining a transformation relating the inner structure of the model and the position and shape of the registration element with respect to each other such that the inner structure of the model corresponds to the provided position and shape of the registration element, and d) a position determination unit for determining the position of the working element with respect to the model depending on the spatial relation between the working element and the registration element and the determined transformation.
US 2010/0016655 A1 discloses an introducer for treating a heart of a patient. The introducer comprises an introducer shaft extending between a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end has a tissue penetrating tip such that the shaft is insertable through first and second heart walls bordering a chamber of the heart.
CN 103945754 A discloses an endoscope including an insertion portion, an operation portion and a universal cable. The operation portion comprises an operation portion main body which is a first sheath body and a grasping portion case body which is a second sheath body. The operation portion main body is provided with a bending operation apparatus, an air/water feeding button and a suction button. The grasping portion case body is provided with a treatment instrument insertion port.
In interventional procedures a steerable catheter may be used for delivering a guide wire and/or other interventional instruments to a target location, wherein the position of the steerable catheter and the guide wire and/or the other interventional instruments may be determined by optical shape sensing. Optical shape sensing requires an optical fiber to be arranged within the steerable catheter together with the guide wire and/or the other interventional instruments such that several elongated elements are used, which are translated and/or rotated during the interventional procedure and which entangle and press against each other, which likely leads to a disruption of the optical shape sensing determination of the position of the steerable catheter and hence of the guide wire and/or the other interventional instruments.